Comments on: Vote For Change 6

By: Whit

Whit — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:03:15 +0000

No, in relation to the comic, to me, seeing the confederate flag in this comic is a juxtaposition of past and future, and I actually thought nothing of slavery. My thoughts ran more toward a mentality that is against change, so since this is my first time coming across these comics, it will be interesting to see where the story line leads.

By: Whit

Whit — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:54:41 +0000

A flag is a symbol, a symbol is something that stands for or suggests something else by reason of relationship, association, convention, or accidental resemblance. Everyone I have met, and everyone who flies the confederate flag is aware of the stigmatism of it’s relationship with slavery. What I have found though, is that only a few who fly it are racist. This brings up an interesting debate; why do they choose the battle flag of the south? Why not the stars and bars (first confederate flag, though both would have roughly the same symbolism)? The battle flag above all other flags represents the fight for southern freedom, ideals, and culture. I’m fine with that. But the flag is a symbol with meanings and associations. I don’t mind people taking pride in their heritage, but would you be proud of your grandfather if he killed hundreds of innocent people by locking them in a room and filling it with gas? Or burned them to death? Or lined them up to see how many he could kill with a single bullet? Would you fly a Nazi flag and celebrate that? Now, would you be proud of your great-great grandfather for kidnapping women and children, keeping them in starving conditions for months and bonding them in slavery until the day they died? Would you fly a confederate flag? Now don’t get me wrong, open discussion of ideas is the only way to a peaceful future where all battles are fought with words. And after all, the Confderate States arn’t the only ones who kept slaves, and their history is our history too. The only difference between the Confederate flag and the American flag is evolution. The Confederacy no longer exists, and the history associated with the flag is set. The history of the American flag is being written every day. Remember the past, just don’t try to repeat it. To me, flying the Confederate flag represents a desire for the way things were. You can say you fly the confederate flag for southern heritage, but from the dawn of this country, southern, and indeed American heritage depended on slave trade, and slave labor. That easygoing laid back life you love to believe in as your proud cultural background is no better of a background than those of us who came here from Germany, and you’ll never catch me flying a Nazi flag. I’d like to think that in the last 100 years our country has progressed toward becoming a future ideal of coexistence of all people from all backgrounds, until then, I’ll defend your right to say what you want and express what you believe no matter how much I disagree with you; like I said, open discussion of ideas is the only way to a peaceful future where all battles are fought with words.

By: freedom_forever

freedom_forever — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:06:54 +0000

Someone stole a sign where i live. it just really ticks me off how people can be ignorant like that.

By: admin

admin — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:51:52 +0000

Big B. I think alot of us would agree on what you’re saying about the U.S. Flag here.

Keep in mind, the comic itself, and the story here says nothing about “racism”, it just happens to be on there. Racism and stereotypes were brought up by readers who saw the flag and jumped to that conclusion, which is very interesting. These are simply the characters in this story, and it has nothing to do with race at all. As for stereotyping these guys as “rednecks”– that wasn’t my intention at all. Come to Southwestern Pennsylvania and see these guys pretty much everywhere. It’s not hard to find them, it’s a “slice of life”

thanks for reading everybody. Keep in mind, this is only the FIRST chapter, you never know when you might see these characters again in some different light.

By: Big B

Big B — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:43:55 +0000

Why is it that the confederate flag can be such a “sign” for “racism” and the American flag isn’t? Are we really forgetting the original racial slaughter of the Native Americans, or does this not fit your story book complaining about inbred racists? In fact, is that not stereotyping, something just as bad as racism?

By: J Spade

J Spade — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 09:54:24 +0000

Im from Texas, small town in texas where the Confederate flag is everyday thing. There was a point when I was in High School, where a teacher took a necklace from a student because it was designed as a confederate flag on every bead of it. This particular situation soon turned into an uprise causing students to revolt from the school and push their Souther Heritage even further and really began to become Rebels to everything they were pushing towards them. I was involved in this yes, I stood the side of my Brothers…those who truely stood beside me, and we stood together all of us…did we lose to the school, of course. They choose a vote based upon their feelings and what they think, there was nothing we could do no matter how hard we pressed. The fact that people jump directly to racism over a simple flag that represents my heritage…my pride…my family…it kinda makes me sick. My point is…the rainbow has been around for hundreds of years right? It was just something to view through reflections of the sun and rain, beautiful sight to behold. Not anymore…the people who began this conversation…the ones who saw a flag on the back of a truck and automatically thought racism, do you see a Rainbow and think damn thats gay? is that how far our society has come really? The rainbow is used as a symbol of gay-pride if Im not wrong…but it hasn’t always been that way….just like the Confederate flag never represented racism…but there are people who wear and wave the same flag and show racism of their own accord, they choose the ignorance of saying that the true rebels were racist…which makes no sense….considering that the lead General of the South didnt have slaves (i dont believe, he may have…but I am under the impression that he did not) but the General of the North did….

By: Havoc

Havoc — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:37:20 +0000

Hey from Georgia.

The highschool I graduated from had a Rebel flying the confederate flag as their mascot. When someone wanted it changed, the community was up in arms against it changing it - Blacks and Whites included. The flag is not about racism, its about heritage and pride and I think that media has blown the racism part out of proportion. If you look at the history of this flag, you’ll find that it was really not part of the civil war. Only one very small part of the confederate army flew it, but it has come to be seen as the this disgusting idea of racism. Unless you live in an area that flies it and talk to and know the people who fly it, you don’t understand what it stands for.

By: Casey

Casey — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 06:01:53 +0000

Might a southern boy from Alabama jump in on this conversation that’s probably ended by now? I see Rebel flags almost everyday. Not everyone flying them is racist, they just have southern pride. But equally there are many that are racist. I have a friend that loves the rebel flag. He’s a big redneck, and slightly racist. He doesn’t hate black people, they just get on his nerves. But if you lived here and went to school with the black kids we go to school with, you’d probably get annoyed by blacks to. They don’t really make a good name for themselves. It’s almost as if they live up to their stereotypes. You know, like acting all “Gangsta” and loving fried chicken and grape kool-aid. I swear to you they’ll all admit that popeye’s and church’s chicken are their favorite places to eat, and their favorite drink is grape kool-aid. A girl once brought grape kool-aid and vodka to school. Never tried it myself, but it’s probably not that great. My Physical Science teacher was talking about mixing cherry kool-aid and sugar together to form a mixture and this black kid said “Can it be grape kool-aid?” I couldn’t help but laugh.

But seriously, the rebel flag isn’t necessarily racist, but i wouldn’t fly one because i believe in the USA not the CSA.

By: crayZsaaron

crayZsaaron — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:37:53 +0000

I live in a little town called Quakertown, Pennsylvania, and it’s like Redneck Town, USA. You’d be surprised how many people are flying confederate flags everywhere. I know that for many, it’s not considered racist at all, but i still think it’s wrong to be flying them like that, since so many people could get offended.

By: Flobot 13

Flobot 13 — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:25:20 +0000

What I find most fascinating about this conversation, and this comic is, the comic itself isn’t saying anything at all about the confederate flag and racism. It’s fascinating that that’s the conclusion jumped to just by showing it on a truck. And it goes to show that regardless of the other reasons you might fly this flag, the first thing that comes up is “racism”

These guys might just not want someone in their neighborhood putting up signs?